Japan, Britain and Italy have said that they are collaborating to create a next-generation fighter jet in a project that held scope for future cooperation with allies including the United States.
The three countries made this known in a joint statement on Friday.
According to the m, the new jet, to be ready by 2035, is expected to merge the nations’ current research into cutting-edge air combat technology, from stealth capacity to high-tech sensors.
The “ambitious endeavour” would “accelerate our advanced military capability and technological advantage” at a time when “threats and aggression are increasing” worldwide, the statement explained.
The nations announced the project with a set of images showing an artist’s impression of the sleek new jets flying past Mount Fuji and over London and Rome.
Although the countries have not disclosed the estimated cost of the project which is expected to come under a under the joint project called the Global Combat Air Programme they have already begun to contribute billions of dollars into fighter jet development.
“We share (an) ambition for this aircraft to be the centrepiece of a wider combat air system that will function across multiple domains,” the statement said.
That includes “future interoperability with the United States, with the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and with our partners” in Europe, Asia and worldwide, it explained.
Meanwhile, the US Department of Defence disclosed that it supported the project in a separate joint statement with Japan’s defence ministry.
In a US- Japan joint statement they said,“We have begun important collaboration through a series of discussions on autonomous systems capabilities, which could complement Japan’s next fighter program among other platforms,”
Similarly, Britain had already been working with Italy on a future fighter jet project called Tempest, launched to great fanfare in 2018.
It was gathered that the objective was to develop by 2035 a twin-engined stealth aircraft that could be operated manned or unmanned, could not be detected by radar, and would boast features such as laser-directed weapons and a virtual cockpit.